John Kim 
With the launch of the Nike Basketball Elite Series, footwear designers and consumers had to re-think the conventions of a ‘basketball shoe’. In what was already was the pre-eminent line of performance footwear for the sport, the Kobe VII, LeBron 9, and Hyperdunk 2011 was elevated to unseen heights, using materials such as Kevlar and Pro Combat padding to an already high-tech package of Flywire, Hyperfuse, and other mega-lightweight shell constructions. One of the eyebrow-raising elements of the Elite Series was the retail price, which ranged from $200 (Kobe VII and Hyperdunk) to $250 (LeBron 9), but a quick disappearing act from store shelves proved that consumers were ready and willing to shell out the money for the next level of Nike Basketball sneakers. A special edition tri-tiered box set was handed out to select media and released in very limited quantity at select Nike Basketball retailers like Nike Vault as well as the House of Hoops; the box itself is a harmonius binding of carbon fiber and a shimmering metallic gold, with the Elite Series slogan reading ‘Light Like Air. Stronger Than Steel.’ on the outer face. We’ve got a detailed look at the Nike Basketball Elite Series Box Set below, so take a good look and if you’re desperate to add these to your Elite collection, see what’s available now on eBay.
